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Float XML Namespaces to Root?

I have XML within a C# program that looks something like this:
<el1 xmlns="http://URI1">
<el2 xmlns:namespace2="http://URI2"></el2>
<el3>
<el4 xmlns:namespace3="http://URI3"></el4>
</el3>
</el1>
For cleanliness, I would like to move all the namespace declarations to the root element. I cannot change the export that produces this XML, so a solution needs to work on the sample as shown above. What is a good way to accomplish this?
This example is stripped down for brevity, but assume that there are further child elements that actually use these prefixes. These are irrelevant for this question as all the namespace prefix declarations are unique and my goal is only to move them higher in the tree.
I've reviewed the MSDN documentation for XML but there doesn't seem to be a simple way to manipulate namespaces like this. One of the solutions I've tried is interacting with the XML as an XElement and collecting the namespaces based on XAttribute.IsNamespaceDeclaration, replacing each element with its local name and finally creating a new root element with the collected list of namespace XAttributes. That line of experimentation caused a bunch of errors about redefining prefixes, though, and I'm not sure if I'm moving in the right direction or not.

You need to add a prefix
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.IO;
using System.Xml;
using System.Xml.Serialization;
namespace ConsoleApplication2
{
class Program
{
const string FILENAME = #"c:\temp\test.xml";
static void Main(string[] args)
{
El1 el1 = new El1()
{
el2 = new El2()
{
el3 = new El3() {
el4 = new El4() {
}
}
}
};
XmlSerializerNamespaces ns = new XmlSerializerNamespaces();
ns.Add("u4", "http://URI4");
ns.Add("u3", "http://URI3");
ns.Add("u2", "http://URI2");
ns.Add("", "http://URI1");
XmlSerializer serializer = new XmlSerializer(typeof(El1));
StreamWriter writer = new StreamWriter(FILENAME);
serializer.Serialize(writer, el1, ns);
writer.Flush();
writer.Close();
writer.Dispose();
}
}
[XmlRoot("el1", Namespace = "http://URI1")]
public class El1
{
[XmlElement("el2", Namespace = "http://URI2")]
public El2 el2 { get; set; }
}
[XmlRoot("el2")]
public class El2
{
[XmlElement("el3", Namespace = "http://URI3")]
public El3 el3 { get; set; }
}
[XmlRoot("el3", Namespace = "http://URI3")]
public class El3
{
[XmlElement("el4", Namespace = "http://URI4")]
public El4 el4 { get; set; }
}
[XmlRoot("el4", Namespace = "http://URI1")]
public class El4
{
}
}
​

You can locate all the xmls attributes using the namespace xpath axis. Add those attributes to the root element. Finally write out the xml using NamespaceHandling.OmitDuplicates, which will leave the namespace declarations on the root and remove them from all the other elements.
var xml = new XmlDocument();
xml.Load("XMLFile1.xml");
// Find all xmlns: attributes
var attributes = xml.DocumentElement.SelectNodes("//namespace::*");
// Add xmlns: attributes to the root
foreach (XmlAttribute attribute in attributes)
xml.DocumentElement.SetAttribute(attribute.Name, attribute.Value);
// Write out results, ignoring duplicate xmlns: attributes
var settings = new XmlWriterSettings();
settings.NamespaceHandling = NamespaceHandling.OmitDuplicates;
settings.Indent = true;
using (var writer = XmlWriter.Create("XMLFile2.xml", settings))
{
xml.Save(writer);
}

xmlserializernamespaces add namespace to a specific element

I have an object and I would like to serialize it. I would like to add the namespaces to a specific element of the xml document. I have created several .xsd files from 1 default xml. I use XmlSerializer.
The namespace should be described in the <sos:element. That is what I want:
<env:root
xmls:env ="httpenv"
xmlns:sos="httpsos">
<env:body>
<sos:element
xmlns:abc="" <--------------my namespaces are located in <sos:element
...
if I use something like
XmlSerializerNamespaces ns = new XmlSerializerNamespaces();
ns.Add("abc", "httpabc");
ns.add....
StringWriter stringWriter = new StringWriter();
serializer.Serialize(stringWriter, ObjectToSerialize, ns);
I will get the following
<env:root
xmls:env ="httpenv"
xmlns:sos="httpsos"
xmlns:abc="" <-------------I do not want it here; I want it in <sos:element
<env:body>
<sos:element>
...
Is there a way to specify where (in which element) I would like to have my namespaces declared or are they all declared in the root element?

From XML perspective, it doesn't matter where the XML namespace is defined. If you need the XML namespace declaration at a particular place, there's probably something wrong with the component that parses the XML.
Well, anyway, this is what I came up with:
using System;
using System.IO;
using System.Xml;
using System.Xml.Serialization;
namespace XMLNamespaceChangeSerialization
{
internal class Program
{
private static void Main(string[] args)
{
var serialize = Serialize();
Console.WriteLine(serialize);
Console.ReadLine();
}
private static string Serialize()
{
var ns = new XmlSerializerNamespaces();
ns.Add("env", "httpenv");
// Don't add it here, otherwise it will be defined at the root element
// ns.Add("sos", "httpsos");
var stringWriter = new StringWriter();
var serializer = new XmlSerializer(typeof (RootClass), "httpenv");
serializer.Serialize(stringWriter, new RootClass(), ns);
return stringWriter.ToString();
}
}
[Serializable]
[XmlRoot(ElementName = "root")]
public class RootClass
{
[XmlElement(ElementName = "body", Namespace = "httpenv")]
public BodyClass body = new BodyClass();
}
[Serializable]
public class BodyClass
{
[XmlElement( ElementName = "element", Namespace = "httpsos")]
public SOSClass element = new SOSClass();
}
[Serializable]
public class SOSClass
{
// This will be used by XML serializer to determine the namespaces
[XmlNamespaceDeclarations]
public XmlSerializerNamespaces xmlns = new XmlSerializerNamespaces(
new[] { new XmlQualifiedName("sos", "httpsos"), });
}
}

Class serialization in XML

[XmlRoot("Class1")]
class Class1
{
[(XmlElement("Product")]
public string Product{get;set;}
[(XmlElement("Price")]
public string Price{get;set;}
}
This is my class. In this the price contains the '£' symbol. after serializing it to XML I get the '?' instead of '£'.
what I need to do to get the '£' in XML? OR How can I pass the data in price as CDATA?

Your problem must be to do with how the XML is written to the file.
I've written a program that uses the information that you've given me so far, and it when I print the XML string out, it is correct.
I conclude that the error is happening either when the data is written to the XML file, or when it is read back in from the XML file.
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.IO;
using System.Xml;
using System.Xml.Serialization;
namespace ConsoleApplication1
{
class Program
{
static void Main()
{
new Program().Run();
}
void Run()
{
Class1 test = new Class1();
test.Product = "Product";
test.Price = "£100";
Test(test);
}
void Test<T>(T obj)
{
XmlSerializerNamespaces Xsn = new XmlSerializerNamespaces();
Xsn.Add("", "");
XmlSerializer submit = new XmlSerializer(typeof(T));
StringWriter stringWriter = new StringWriter();
XmlWriter writer = XmlWriter.Create(stringWriter);
submit.Serialize(writer, obj, Xsn);
var xml = stringWriter.ToString(); // Your xml This is the serialization code. In this Obj is the object to serialize
Console.WriteLine(xml); // £ sign is fine in this output.
}
}
[XmlRoot("Class1")]
public class Class1
{
[XmlElement("Product")]
public string Product
{
get;
set;
}
[XmlElement("Price")]
public string Price
{
get;
set;
}
}
}

How to change XML root name with XML Serialization?

I am trying to change the root name when doing XML serialization with C#.
It always takes the class name and not the name I am trying to set it with.
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Xml.Serialization;
using System.IO;
namespace ConsoleApplication1
{
class Program
{
static void Main(string[] args)
{
MyTest test = new MyTest();
test.Test = "gog";
List<MyTest> testList = new List<MyTest>()
{
test
};
SerializeToXML(testList);
}
static public void SerializeToXML(List<MyTest> list)
{
XmlSerializer serializer = new XmlSerializer(typeof(List<MyTest>));
TextWriter textWriter = new StreamWriter(#"C:\New folder\test.xml");
serializer.Serialize(textWriter, list);
textWriter.Close();
}
}
}
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Xml.Serialization;
namespace ConsoleApplication1
{
[XmlRootAttribute(ElementName = "WildAnimal", IsNullable = false)]
public class MyTest
{
[XmlElement("Test")]
public string Test { get; set; }
}
}
Result
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<ArrayOfMyTest xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">
<MyTest>
<Test>gog</Test>
</MyTest>
</ArrayOfMyTest>
It does not change it to WildAnimal. I am not sure why. I got this from a tutorial.
Edit # Marc
Thanks. I now see what your doing just seems so odd that you have to make a wrapper around it. I have one more question what happens if I wanted to make this format
<root>
<element>
<name></name>
</element>
<anotherElement>
<product></product>
</anotherElement>
</root>
so like a nested elements. Would I have to make a new class for the second part and stick that in the wrapper class too?

In your example, MyTest is not the root; are you trying to rename the array? I would write a wrapper:
[XmlRoot("NameOfRootElement")]
public class MyWrapper {
private List<MyTest> items = new List<MyTest>();
[XmlElement("NameOfChildElement")]
public List<MyTest> Items { get { return items; } }
}
static void Main() {
MyTest test = new MyTest();
test.Test = "gog";
MyWrapper wrapper = new MyWrapper {
Items = { test }
};
SerializeToXML(wrapper);
}
static public void SerializeToXML(MyWrapper list) {
XmlSerializer serializer = new XmlSerializer(typeof(MyWrapper));
using (TextWriter textWriter = new StreamWriter(#"test.xml")) {
serializer.Serialize(textWriter, list);
textWriter.Close();
}
}

Serialization and Deserialization into an XML file, C#

I have the following code:
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.IO;
namespace ConsoleApplication28
{
class Program
{
static void Main()
{
List<string> dirs = FileHelper.GetFilesRecursive(#"c:\Documents and Settings\bob.smith\Desktop\Test");
foreach (string p in dirs)
{
Console.WriteLine(p);
}
//Write Count
Console.WriteLine("Count: {0}", dirs.Count);
Console.Read();
}
static class FileHelper
{
public static List<string> GetFilesRecursive(string b)
{
// 1.
// Store results in the file results list.
List<string> result = new List<string>();
// 2.
// Store a stack of our directories.
Stack<string> stack = new Stack<string>();
// 3.
// Add initial directory.
stack.Push(b);
// 4.
// Continue while there are directories to process
while (stack.Count > 0)
{
// A.
// Get top directory
string dir = stack.Pop();
try
{
// B
// Add all files at this directory to the result List.
result.AddRange(Directory.GetFiles(dir, "*.*"));
// C
// Add all directories at this directory.
foreach (string dn in Directory.GetDirectories(dir))
{
stack.Push(dn);
}
}
catch
{
// D
// Could not open the directory
}
}
return result;
}
}
}
}
The code above works well for recursively finding what files/directories lie in a folder on my c:.
I am trying to serialize the results of what this code does to an XML file but I am not sure how to do this.
My project is this: find all files/ directories w/in a drive, serialize into an XML file. Then, the second time i run this app, i will have two XML files to compare. I then want to deserialize the XML file from the first time i ran this app and compare differences to the current XML file and produce a report of changes (i.e. files that have been added, deleted, updated).
I was hoping to get some help as I am a beginner in C# and i am very very shaky on serializing and deserializing. I'm having lots of trouble coding. Can someone help me?
Thanks

Your result is List<string> and that is not directly serializable. You'll have to wrap it, a minimal approach:
[Serializable]
class Filelist: List<string> { }
And then the (De)Serialization goes like:
Filelist data = new Filelist(); // replaces List<string>
// fill it
using (var stream = File.Create(#".\data.xml"))
{
var formatter = new System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Soap.SoapFormatter();
formatter.Serialize(stream, data);
}
data = null; // lose it
using (var stream = File.OpenRead(#".\data.xml"))
{
var formatter = new System.Runtime.Serialization.Formatters.Soap.SoapFormatter();
data = (Filelist) formatter.Deserialize(stream);
}
But note that you will not be comparing the XML in any way (not practical). You will compare (deserialzed) List instances. And the XML is SOAP formatted, take a look at it. It may not be very useful in another context.
And therefore you could easily use a different Formatter (binary is a bit more efficient and flexible).
Or maybe you just want to persist the List of files as XML. That is a different question.

For anyone who is having trouble with xml serialization and de-serialization. I have created a sample class to do this below. It works for recursive collections also (like files and directories).
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
namespace Sample
{
[Serializable()]
[System.Xml.Serialization.XmlRootAttribute(Namespace = "", IsNullable = false, ElementName = "rootnode")]
public partial class RootNode
{
[System.Xml.Serialization.XmlElementAttribute("collection1")]
public List<OuterCollection> OuterCollections { get; set; }
}
[Serializable()]
public partial class OuterCollection
{
[XmlAttribute("attribute1")]
public string attribute1 { get; set; }
[XmlArray(ElementName = "innercollection1")]
[XmlArrayItem("text", Type = typeof(InnerCollection1))]
public List<InnerCollection1> innerCollection1Stuff { get; set; }
[XmlArray("innercollection2")]
[XmlArrayItem("text", typeof(InnerCollection2))]
public List<InnerCollection2> innerConnection2Stuff { get; set; }
}
[Serializable()]
public partial class InnerCollection2
{
[XmlText()]
public string text { get; set; }
}
public partial class InnerCollection1
{
[XmlText()]
public int number { get; set; }
}
}

This class serializes and deserializes itself....hopefully this helps.
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.IO;
using System.Xml.Serialization;
using System.Xml;
namespace TestStuff
{
public class Configuration
{
#region properties
public List<string> UIComponents { get; set; }
public List<string> Settings { get; set; }
#endregion
//serialize itself
public string Serialize()
{
MemoryStream memoryStream = new MemoryStream();
XmlSerializer xs = new XmlSerializer(typeof(Configuration));
using (StreamWriter xmlTextWriter = new StreamWriter(memoryStream))
{
xs.Serialize(xmlTextWriter, this);
xmlTextWriter.Flush();
//xmlTextWriter.Close();
memoryStream = (MemoryStream)xmlTextWriter.BaseStream;
memoryStream.Seek(0, SeekOrigin.Begin);
StreamReader reader = new StreamReader(memoryStream);
return reader.ReadToEnd();
}
}
//deserialize into itself
public void Deserialize(string xmlString)
{
String XmlizedString = null;
using (MemoryStream memoryStream = new MemoryStream())
{
using (StreamWriter w = new StreamWriter(memoryStream))
{
w.Write(xmlString);
w.Flush();
XmlSerializer xs = new XmlSerializer(typeof(Configuration));
memoryStream.Seek(0, SeekOrigin.Begin);
XmlReader reader = XmlReader.Create(memoryStream);
Configuration currentConfig = (Configuration)xs.Deserialize(reader);
this.Settings = currentConfig.Settings;
this.UIComponents = currentConfig.UIComponents;
w.Close();
}
}
}
static void Main(string[] args)
{
Configuration thisConfig = new Configuration();
thisConfig.Settings = new List<string>(){
"config1", "config2"
};
thisConfig.UIComponents = new List<string>(){
"comp1", "comp2"
};
//serializing the object
string serializedString = thisConfig.Serialize();
Configuration myConfig = new Configuration();
//deserialize into myConfig object
myConfig.Deserialize(serializedString);
}
}
}

John:
May I suggest an improvement? Instead of using filenames, use the FileInfo object. This will allow you to get much more accurate information about each file rather than just if it exists under the same name.
Also, the XmlSerializer class should do you just fine. It won't serialize generic lists, so you'll have to output your List<> to an array or some such, but other than that:
XmlSerializer serial = new XmlSerializer(typeof(FileInfo[]));
StringWriter writer = new StringWriter();
FileInfo[] fileInfoArray = GetFileInfos();
serial.Serialize(writer, fileInfoArrays);
Simple and easy, unless it matters to you how the serialized XML looks.
Whatever you do, lose the empty catch block. You WILL regret swallowing exceptions. Log them or re-throw them.

Help #1. Indent code by four spaces to have it be seen as code when you post here.
2: get rid of that try/catch block, as it will eat all exceptions, including the ones you want to know about.
3: Did you make any attempt at all to serialize your results? Please edit your question to show what you tried. Hint: use the XmlSerializer class.

for xml serialisation, you have several possibilities:
Doing it manually
Using XmlSerializer as detailed above
Using System.Xml.Serialization
Using Linq to Xml
for the last two, see a code example in this answer. (See some gotchas here)
And for your recursive directory visitor, you could consider making it really recursive: here's some interesting code examples.

This question is exactly like this one. I also have a posted answer which will work for you as well:
How to serialize?